A toddler hearing an unfamiliar sound: Stops everything. Looks around for the source of the sound. Points excitedly to the source of the sound when she finds it. Asks the nearest adult, “What dat? What dat?” Continues asking until the adult answers: “A truck.” “The microwave beeping.” “A flute.” “My stomach growling.” Adult hearing an […]

I’m constantly tapping rhythms on stuff – cookie sheets, the dryer, cardboard boxes, anything that looks like it might make an interesting sound. That’s how I found myself starting, for the tenth time so far this summer, to sort through some stuff in the garage, picking up this large pot lid and tapping on it. […]

Why you should use ASL with young children More and more schools and early childhood learning centers are teaching some ASL (American Sign Language) to their (hearing) students. It seems counterintuitive, to say the least. Young children are still learning their own language – receptive, oral and written. Isn’t that enough? Why burden them with […]

A Very Fun and Easy Spanish Song So you’re looking for a super-easy, SHORT, song in Spanish that will make your 3-6 year old students laugh their heads off? And did I mention it’s easy and short? It’s “El pato Renato.” (Renato the Duck): (Translation, approximately: “Renato the duck doesn’t know how to sing, but […]

A few of my schools offer day care for school aged children on their days off. Since last week was Spring Break for many nearby towns, I had a chance to reconnect with some of my former students. The most amazing experience was at one center, where I walked into the pre-K room to see […]

An Easy, Improvisational Song Using Signing (This song appears in my book “Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Rhythm Instruments for More for Active Learning.”) Did you know that ASL is the fourth most widely used language in the United States, after English, Spanish, and Chinese? Many early childhood centers are introducing ASL words in their classroom. […]

Exploring the Sounds of Egg Cartons I started using egg cartons in my early childhood music classes many years ago. They always interested me because they’re so light, yet because of their structure they can make sharp and impressively loud sounds. At first, I had my classes simply tap the cartons on the floor in […]

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About Me

I'm an early-childhood music and science teacher and my new book, "Exploring the Science of Sounds:100 Musical Activities for Young Children" will give you lots of ideas for bringing science to your classroom in a fun and musical way! My books include "101 Rhythm Instrument Activities For Young Children" (Gryphon House, 2004), "Shake, Rattle and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning" (Gryphon House, 2015) and other books on children, music, and creativity. Through my books, and presentations around the country, I've shared hundreds of my original, classroom-tested, and ginormously fun activities with early childhood professionals. I love music, dancing, learning, reading, writing, coffee, cats, and teaching young children!